goverment must stop tempting voters with short term policies and instead budget for the long term

01-07-2014

Released under embargo until 09:45am Wednesday 2 July 2014

Tomorrow (Wednesday 2 July) Mike Owen, incoming President of CIPFA, the UK's leading public finance body, will address the CIPFA annual conference ahead of Eric Pickles MP, the Secretary of State for Local Government.

He will call on politicians to stop tempting voters with short-term, electorally appealing policies and instead develop financial plans and policies for the medium to long term.

In his speech in London to finance leaders from across the public sector he will say that if the UK is to achieve fiscal sustainability:

"We need governments to budget for the medium to long term, to invest strategically in growth and to invest in early interventions for the benefit of future generations rather than tempting the voters of today with short term policies that are electorally appealing now but ultimately put back even further the point of fiscal balance.

"We need to address how government and public services are structured to deliver genuinely integrated services that meet the needs of local communities and individuals, but focusing on outcomes, not inputs.

"We need to address how government is structured to ensure regional interests in England have a voice and the democratic tools and resources to shape their own futures just as we have seen the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales do with increasing confidence.

"And we need to address the yawning governance gap we are witnessing as a result of new public service structures. Be it in academies or clinical commissioning groups, time and time again, we have seen failure in financial management and governance when these newly reformed structures should be in the business of increasing public confidence not eroding it."

CIPFA annual conference is held this year in Hammersmith at the Conference Centre, Novotel London West on Wednesday 2 July and Thursday 3 July.

Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will address the conference on Wednesday 2 July at 16:00.

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CIPFA, registered with the Charity Commissioners of England and Wales No. 231060 and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator No.SCO37963. CIPFA Business Limited, the trading arm of CIPFA that provides a range of services to public sector clients, registered in England and Wales no.2376684. Registered Office 77 Mansell Street, London E1 8AN